bartlett



v 2 Sheets-Shet 1.

no Model.)

'w. A. BARTLETT.

PNEUMATIC CANNON.

a L a M d m H m ow P EER N, PETERS. Phmmno n nu, Washmgmn. n. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

w. A; BARTLETT. PNEUMATIC GANNDN.

PatentedMan. 4, 1884.

N. PETERS, Phwmlhug dm. Walhinginn. ac.

- is open.

ihvrrno STATES PATENT @rricn.

VALLAGE A. BARTLETT, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PNEUMATIC CANNON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,352, dated March 4, 1884.

Application filed January 8. 1894.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWALLAQE A. BARTLETT, residing at XVashington, in the District of Golumbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Cannon, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to pneumatic or other guns in which the projectile is driven by the pressure of an elastic gas which is admitted from some supply outside the guntube.

The invention consists in the construct-ion -and arrangement of the gun and flask; the

mode of operating the valve which governs the admission of air or gas to the gun, and the mechanism therefor; the mechanism for training the gun, and in details and combinations as hereinafter pointed out in the claims.

The object of the inveiition is to provide a gun from which projectiles loaded with dynamite or other high explosives may be fired without danger of bursting in the gun.

In the drawings, Figure 51 is a longitudinal section of the gun and a plan of the flask which forms the carriage. Fig. 52 is aside elevation of the gun and a section of the flask and training-cylinder. Fig. 53 is a transverse section on irregular line 00 Fig. 54-. is a vertical transverse section of the gun and training-cylinder. Fig. 55 is an elevation of same. Fig. 56 is a side elevation, showing the connection by which the automatic cutoff is operated. Fig. 57 is a horizontal section of the cut-off valves. Fig. 58 is a section of the breech of of the gun, showing projectile-detent.

The gun tube or barrel 1 has a breech-closing mechanism of usual form, and is strengtlr ened by a web, 2 or in other manner. The air-supply is from the flask 3, which forms the carriage on which the gun is mounted. The gun-tn be 1 has hollow trunnions i j ust forward of the breech-closing apparatus, and has trun- IllOIl-SlllJlJOlhSfi, which are hollow, and connect with the flask 3 Compressed air or gas from the flask has access to the gun through the trunnion-supports and trunnions when the valve The gun-tube is supported at a suit able distance forward of the trunnions by suitable mechanism for elevating and depressing the same. This, as illustrated, is a cylinder, at, which communicates with the flask through the valve-box The cylinder contains a piston, which, by its rod (1, supports the gun, the said gun or its web resting in a saddle, Thus the gun may be raised by opening the valve in If and permitting the gas-pressure to act upon the piston. As the gun must turn on its fixed trunnions, a longitudinal movement must be allowed on the saddle The valve in box 0" may be a common slide-valve, operated by a lever or handle, 0 from near the breech of the gun. The air or gas is permitted to pass to the gun-tube 1 through the trunnion supports 45" when the valve h is opened. This valve in valve-box 9'' opens and closes communication between the flask and trunnionsupports. Valve if has a stem, K

- connected to a piston, m, in cylinder Z, so that the valve may be operated by the pressure of gas on the said piston. Compressed air or gas from the flask is admitted to cylinder Z by means of the slide-valve 0 which is moved by a pressure in pipe 1)" The pipe p communicates with a small cylinder, If, near the muzzle of the gun, or with other actuating mechanism near the muzzle. The pipe may filled with oil, which will act a piston, or may be simply a pneumatic tube operating by airpressure, all as more fully described in other applications filed in the United States Patent Office of even date herewith, which applications are herein referred to as more fully explaining the operation of some features of this device, and as making claims to some of the features herein shown and described but not herein claimed.

A detent,-r", is illustrated in Fig. 58. This may be simply a spring or catch arranged in a groove near the breech of the gun. A projectile passed into the gun from the breech will press down the spring, which will rise as soon as the projectile is past and prevent the projectile from sliding back to stop the e11- trances for the air or gas from the flask. The flask may be pivoted at 8 which pivot forms a means of communication through which com pressed air or gas may be forced into the flask. The gun is traversed by swinging the flask, which forms a' carriage therefor.

When a projectile is put into the breech of the gun forward of the apertures it is held from sliding back, should the muzzle be elevated, by the catch 1 New, supposing the flask to be charged with gas at a high pressure, the slide-valve 0 is actuated (by hand or otherwise) to admit air to cylinder 1?", and so open the valve lbs. This opens communication from the flask to the gun-tube and drives out the projectile. As the projectile reaches the muzzle, it actuates the mechanism leading through pipe 12 to the slidevalve and shifts said valve, so that the piston m is moved in the other direction and the valve which governs the supply to the gun is closed.

The connections for shifting valve 0 may be pneumatic, electric, or mechanical, as de-' scribed in other applications referred to, or the valve 0 may be operated in both directions by hand, or by electric or clock-work mechanism which is not actuated by the projectile, the principal feature of this part 'of my invention being that the operating-valve is itself operated by gas-pressure from the flask. It is obvious that the same mode of manipulation will apply to a rotary as to a slide valve.

The apparatus for raising or depressing the muzzle of the gun need not be arranged at the muzzle end. On a counterpoised gun it would obviously be differently placed, and the piston can of course be driven in either direction in manner well known to mechanics.

I claim 1. A gas-flask 'forming the gun-carriage, a

gun-tube supported thereon by a support inmunication with the flask through the trunnions, of a cylinder and-piston arranged to elevate and depress the gun by the pressure of gas from the flask, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the gas-flask and supply pipe of a gas-pressure gun, of a valve which controls the passage between said flask and pipe, and mechanism, substantially as described, whereby the pressure of gas in the flask may be made to actuate said valve, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the gas-flask and the supply-pipe of a gas-pressure gun, and a valve controlling the passage between the same, of an operating cylinder, piston, and valve, by which the first-mentioned valve may be operated by means of gas-pressure, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the gas-flask, sup ply-pipe, and valve controlling the supply, an ranged to co-operate as described in a gas pressure gun, of operative mechanism,substantially as described, whereby the valve may be shifted by the pressure of air from the flask, and mechanism, substantially as described, leading therefrom, by which the same may be controlled, as set forth.

7. The method herein described of closing the operating-valve automatically, which consists in actuating mechanism by the passage of the projectile through the bore, which in turn-throws into operation mechanism actuated by the pressure of gas in the flask, sub stantially as stated.

8. The combination, with the gas-flask, the supply-pipe, and valve controlling the passage between the two, of mechanism, substantially as described, whereby the pressure of the gas in the flask may be made to operate \VALLAOE A. BARTLETT.

Vitnesses:

A. S. RAY, PHILIP HAWLEY. 

